Feature/Functionality Request - Tactical Console and Enemies

[JimGroves]

Hi,

I'm pretty verbose, so stick with me! I'll try to be concise!

I've just been tinkering around with 4E HL for a few hours, and I'm pretty impressed. Using the data that I paid for with my DDI subscription is a stroke of genius. You guys deserve a round of applause. However, the WOTC Character Builder is a pretty good piece of software, from the point of view of this End User. I'm not unhappy with it.

To that end, I ask myself, why wouldn't I use Character Builder instead then? Its a great marketing question for you guys to be asking yourselves.

The answer to that question (for me) would be, "What can HL do that Character Builder can not? Why can't I live without HL?"

Well.. For me, I would be looking for as much Tactical Console and Encounter Support as I could get. That is something that Character Builder does not do. That is a niche to be filled.

Specifically I would like to see-

1) The Tactical Console to have better support on Ongoing Damage (fire, cold, pyschic, etc). Specifically at the start of a PC's turn, PCs take their damage, and at the very end of their turn- they make their saving throw. If they make their Save, that condition can be removed, so that it is gone as the last part of their turn.

If there are GSL concerns, let me as the user define what kind of specific ongoing damage it is, but have the Console coded to keep track of 'whatever it is' and that a Save needs to happen at the end of the player's turn. If I define what type of ongoing damage it is, everything else should be just core game mechanics. (Though I can't imagine they could claim that ongoing 'fire' damage is proprietary data)

2.) The Tactical Console to have better support on the Conditions (see PHB 277). Granted, some of those hard to implement.. but some of them would be really handy to be kept track of.. plus many of them, just like ongoing damage, require a save at the end of the payers next turn to have them lifted.

3.) Keep track of actions remaining. Each player has a Standard, Move, and Minor action. Some conditions cause them to loose them. Also Standards can be converted to Moves and Minors, and Moves can be converted to Minors. Players often have powers that require a Minor action to be spent to sustain them.

Those are just some basic ideas I came up with off the top of my head. One thing to consider about 4E is, at the moment more people have an abstract idea of how the game runs but less experience in practical play. 4E has a lot of little details that have to be kept track of from round to round, like ongoing damage, sustained powers, and ongoing conditions and marking.

A large combat slows down in actual play.

If HL can manage the encounter and keep track of those details, all of a sudden its doing something that Character Builder can not.. and it becomes an essential tool to me and other users. I might still use CB, but I'd port over all PC and Enemies over to HL so that it will manage my encounters (not unlike DM's Familiar or DM Genie used to for 3.5 back in the day).

If this was a seperate data pack (4E Encounter Management Tool?) to add this functionality, I'd pay a small but reasonable sum for it. 10 bucks? Or you could be really cool and just expand the functionality of the Tactical Console.

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Authoring Kit Comments

This tool is a bit above my pay grade.. but I looked it over. This functionality might already exist, but I couldn't see it with a casual look.

If the Tactical Console can be expanded, I'd like to use the Authoring Kit to create import Monster Stat blocks, so I can use them with the Tactical Console.

Monster Stat blocks have a few nuances that PC stat blocks to do not.. including specifically rechargeable powers on a specific dice roll. Example: A dragon breathes fire as an encounter power, and every round on a roll of 4-6 on a six sided die, use of that power might be recharged.

I'd like to be able to fully create a monster stat block, and keep track of their Encounter Powers, including those that Recharge.

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Thanks for listening.. If some of the things I've asked for already exist, please pardon my overlooking it!

[Colen]

These are some great suggestions. Thanks!

The monsters are something we want to do, but they're a big chunk of work. In 3.5, it was a lot easier to create monsters, since they were the same as heroes in a lot of ways; in 4e, monsters are pretty different, so it'll be a different kettle of fish to add them. It's definitely on our to-do list.

Thanks!